Since I start with level 1 Construction, allowing size 230 ships, I design an Escort at that size. And build only Escorts.

When I get to level 2 Construction, allowing size 300 ships, I design a Frigate at that size...and build a bunch of them, with my newer tech toys.

And so on..at about Level 5 Construction, I build Cruisers. At size 650. These I use for fleets, which I run manually, while computer gets my size 230 escorts, size 300 Frigates, and size 400 Destroyers to use as it sees fit.

The largest benefit I see is my largest ships are always my most advanced. And at the lower levels, I always outclass the ships I am fighting. If the enemy fleet is 10 frigates, and I send 10, I know I will win...

I use my bases as actual bases...Especially my Gas Mining bases. I think of these as focal points for my fleets, so I like to have them well protected. I design one at level 1 to be size 690, with extra defense, offense, docking stations etc.... Later, I will redesign it when I get advanced Hangers. I never lose a Supply Point (gas base) in the game.

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“My logisticians are a humorless lot … they know if my campaign fails, they are the first ones I will slay.” – Alexander the Great

I haven't taken a hard look at the differences in roles, so the answer may be right under my nose. That being said, I routinely find myself building similarly sized frigates to destroyers, and destroyers to cruisers. Sometimes, the lower tiered ships even have more construction cost, firepower and shields, despite having very similar sizes to the higher tiered brethren.

How do you determine how to design the different roles, because at the moment, it doesn't make too much sense.

The roles are really nothing more than guidelines, an easy way to differentiate ships in your fleet. You can make every ship an escort, or a cruiser, or whatever you want. Pirates can use designs of escorts, frigates and destroyers regularly. Later in the game they can have the occasional cruiser if left alone.

As far as arming the mining stations, I give them 4-6 maxxo blasters each. They're paid for by the private sector so I never pay for them myself. And the number of pirates they kill is quite amazing. Later in the game I can upgrade the stations to have better weapons, and the older mining stations tend to be deep in my territory where pirates don't roam. So far.

The ship classes, for me anyway, is completely for role playing purposes. It is true that you can design every class to be the maximum hull size allowed by your tech research, but I don't do this. I assign each class a job to do and I add componets so they can complete their jobs. Not everything available in the design screen goes on every ship I create. I build a lot of speciality ships.

The Ecsort class do just that, they escort my construction ships, for example, and give them protection against space monsters and pirates. The Frigate class I design to patrol mining stations and other bases. The Destroyer, Cruiser, Capital Ship, and Carrier classes are built for my battle fleets with a lot of attack componets. I have created special space monster and Silver Mist killer fleets with the appropriate weapons and defenses. Explorer Ships are small and built for speed.